


slither up next to me

by godaime_obito



Series: Kakaobi event 2019 [14]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Gorgons (Hellenistic Religion & Lore), KakaObi Week 2019, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Witch Curses, im on my monster bs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-28 17:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17791577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godaime_obito/pseuds/godaime_obito
Summary: kakaobi week day 14: free dayObito hasn't been in Konoha in a long time, since before the witch. As much as things have changed, they've also stayed the same. He'd recognize Kakashi anywhere.





	slither up next to me

Obito hasn’t been back to Konoha in a long time. Not since before the cave, and the witch, and the curse. But as much as he dreads being back here, risking seeing familiar faces, he can at least be sure there won’t be any more witches. At least not ones like Kaguya was. The city has an excellent grasp on its supernatural population. Thank you Tobirama Senju: master of regulation and city planning.

The streets are the same as he remembers, dimly lit by old lights, but some of the stores have changed. Obito wonders how many closures and grand openings he missed the last decade and a half. His favorite dango stand is gone, and it makes him feel exceptionally old for only being 28. It’s silly of him; it was just a little stand. He detours from his path to the administrative building, where he intends to register the type of supernatural being he is and, well, _finally_ report in as not being dead, to check that Ichiraku’s Ramen is still there.

Dusk is falling over Konoha. It’s settling in to be a foggy night as well and the streets are emptier than he expected. Ichiraku’s banners wave in the slight breeze, barely illuminated by the shop’s single outdoor light. They’re still open, and he can hear customers talking inside. A shout, a giggle, and then a reprimand in familiar voice.

Obito would be lying if he said he didn’t recognize who the last voice was. It’s not too late for him to turn back to his original path, content in the knowledge the shop is still here. He doesn’t, instead he slips through the curtain and quietly takes a seat on the opposite end of the bar from the ones already there. Ayame comes to take his order. She’s about the same age as him. He remembers coming here with Sensei and Kushina-neechan and seeing her tracing her father’s steps, eager to learn the family business. She doesn’t recognize him. To her credit, he is wearing a mask.

He wonders if he’s changed too much to be recognized at all, even without the mask. He was already scarred when he woke up after Kanabi Bridge, but then the witch happened too. Uchiha aren’t supernatural, despite their eyes. He was normal until the curse. He still can’t believe he was turned into a gorgon. _Logically_ he knew gorgons originated from a curse, but he thought nowadays they were all just descendants of the ones originally cursed, not that there were _witches_ running around still using it all haphazard. He couldn’t remove the mask if he wanted to without temporarily or even _permanently_ freezing anyone who isn’t also a gorgon, and he has to keep his hood up in case he gets emotional and his hair goes serpentine on him.

Never mind. He doesn’t want to linger on that. He’d even rather think about _Kakashi_. If Obito spoke loud enough for him to hear would Kakashi know his voice like Obito knew his? _Does he want to be recognized?_ It would be better to go unnoticed, but at the same time he wants to be important enough to remember. Wants Kakashi to have retraced every memory of the team’s time together the way Obito has.

Glancing over, he catalogues the other customers. Kakashi and three others, all of them sitting together. The others are just kids. He can only see their profiles; A blond boy, a girl with pink hair, and a boy with black hair and a very Uchiha look. They’re eleven or twelve or thirteen. About the age he was when he last saw Kakashi. The man’s new team, for which _he_ is the Sensei? He can’t imagine him teaching anything. But it’s been a long time. People change. Obito certainly has.

He can’t help repeatedly glancing over as he eats. He feels like a real creep, but Kakashi is _right_ _there_. He looks so much like Obito imagined. Well, considering a portion of his imagining was just ‘the same mask covering half his face’ maybe that’s not too impressive. It seems like the others might be ready to leave the last time he looks over and his gaze lingers in preparation for it being his last chance to see them.

Kakashi glances his way before he finishes starring and catches him in the act. It’s embarrassing, but with the orange mask on he at least he can’t see the weird face Obito’s probably making. He quickly shifts his eye back to his ramen. Maybe Kakashi will just move on and forget the strange man with one eye and a bright orange mask staring him down during his team dinner? Yeah, right. He’ll probably track him down and bother him later. Obito had to get ramen and see him, and now he’s going to be dodging him every step of the way. Literally hunted by his past. He shouldn’t have pissed off Konan; he could still be in Ame, which is blessedly low on both witches and ghosts. Or at least low on ghosts from his past. Plenty of the other kind.

* * *

 

Obito manages to avoid seeing Kakashi again for a full week. A true testament to his greatly improved ninja skill. He couldn’t even avoid him a full day as a kid. He’s not so clumsy now, except perhaps in the moments he most needs to be graceful and said grace immediately abandons him. _No_ , he doesn’t want to think about that.

His luck runs out on a bright and beautiful day at an open field used as a training ground. Obito isn’t actually training, just lying in the grass enjoying being alone, only to be suddenly _not_ alone.

“Hello there,” a voice calls from a short distance away, “I’ve seen you around lately, but I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” Kakashi is standing at the edge of the trees bracketing the field, leaning lazily against one.

“To the contrary,” Obito replies, “I think we have been before. I couldn’t forget a mask as nice as yours.” He doesn’t move from his spot on the ground.

“Strange,” Kakashi says, “I don’t think I could forget one as livery as yours either, yet it doesn’t seem to ring a bell.”

“I suppose we met before I started wearing this mask,” he answers.

“Well then,” he exclaims, “You must introduce yourself! It’s only proper to do it again whenever you change masks.”

“Of course!” Obito says, rather enjoying their little façade of a conversation. “How about a trade?” he proposes.

“A trade?” Kakashi prompts.

“I’ll reintroduce myself if you take off your little mask,” he says, “Why I’ll even take my mask off too.” Ha. What do you have to say to that Kakashi? He’s worn that mask practically since birth and never shown anyone his face. Obito wouldn’t be surprised to find out Sakumo never saw his own son’s face.

“You drive a hard bargain,” he says with consideration, “I don’t know if seeing my face is good for your health.”

“Are you being vain or self-deprecating? “Obito wonders aloud, “Does that mean it’s too ugly or too beautiful to be seen?”

“Neither,” Kakashi says cheerfully, “Just too powerful. I have a very strong face you know.”

“What a coincidence! That’s also why I started wearing this mask.”

The air is tense in the field. They stare at each other waiting to see if either will break character or give in. He considers just taking off his mask for the satisfaction of seeing Kakashi frozen in place indefinitely. Obito wants to see Kakashi’s face even more than he wants to freeze him though. He sizes him up a moment and then finally stands up and moves towards Kakashi.

“How about I give you a few hints first?” Obito suggests, “We haven’t seen each other in more than a decade and I was born here in Konoha. He comes to a stop just in front of him. “Ring any bells?” he asks.

“I suppose it does a bit, but it’s still far too vague,” he answers. Kakashi’s tensed slightly after is approach, slight enough a less observant person would miss it. 

“Really?” Obito drawls, “How about this: Bakashi.” His heads jerks at the sound, utterly shocked, and he moves forward without thinking. He aborts halfway through a step towards him, but it’s too late. Obito snaps a hand toward him and grabs ahold of the top of his mask and pulls downward as Kakashi tries to step back again.

He is beautiful. However, Obito doesn’t feel particularly overpowered by it. Kakashi looks less like Sakumo than he thought he would, and he has a rather adorable mole below his lip. Oddly it almost sounds like he’s being hissed at. Kakashi’s mouth isn’t moving, but his _hair_ is. He glances up at it. Snakes. He looks back down at Kakashi’s bewildered face.

“You’re… okay?” he says.

“What the fuck Bakashi. You never mentioned being a gorgon. We were teammates for _years_ ,” Obito complains and jerks off his own mask, tossing it on the nearby ground.

“O- Obito?” Kakashi says. He looks no less confused than a moment ago and his hair is still made of little silver snakes. They’re kind of cute. “It never came up? How are you okay? Where have you been all this time?” he adds. He doesn’t seem like any of this has sunk in yet.

“I was pulled out of the rubble by a plant creature. I wanted to come back, but then I got cursed and had to fight a witch to the death,” he explains, “It didn’t get rid of the main part of the curse though. Guess it’s permanent.”

“Curse? Permanent?” Kakashi questions. In response Obito yanks back his hood and allows it to transform. Unlike Kakashi’s short hair and snakes, Obito’s hair is long. He hasn’t bothered to cut it since he was crushed, and his meter-long pitch-black snakes twist out into the air around them. Their scales glimmer with a blue tint in the sunlight.

“Oh,” Kakashi breathes. “Are they poisonous?” he asks

“No. I… I didn’t know that was even an option,” Obito stutters, “the fuck. Could I have accidently poisoned myself with my own hair if they were? Fuck. Are _yours_ poisonous?”

“No,” he replies and finally breaks out of his daze. Unfortunately for Obito, he does so in order to laugh at his bewildered outrage. “You can’t poison yourself. Gorgons are always immune to their own poison. Although, if anyone could have managed to do so it would be you,” he teases.

“It’s not funny Bakashi,” he says.

“Of course not,” he says still laughing. “I’m just… really glad to see you,” Kakashi says. The laughter abruptly cuts off. “I really thought you were dead,” he murmurs.

“But I’m not,” Obito assures him, “Sorry I’m late.” His snakes are getting awfully friendly with Kakashi, flashing their little tongues to smell him and winding around his arms to slither up him.

Kakashi looks intently at him, soaking in his face and scars, before stepping even closer. His silver snakes rub against Obito’s own snakes and brush against his forehead. Obito stand perfectly still as he waits to see what he’ll do. Even his snakes, who often have minds of their own, go still.

Obito inhales sharply as their lips press together. He shivers as he eagerly allows Kakashi to deepen the kiss, and his snakes seem to spring suddenly back to life. They wind around Kakashi’s own silvery ones, and do their best to loop around his torso as well. When their lips finally break apart, Obito is flushed a gasping lightly. Their lips are still only centimeters apart, as the entwined serpents prevent them from stepping away from each other.

“Just one thing,” he says, “Were you born a gorgon? Your dad definitely wasn’t a gorgon. Oh my god, he really didn’t ever see your face.”

“Yes, I was born this way. My mother was a gorgon,” Kakashi says with fond exasperation, “Aren’t there bigger things we should be addressing?”

“Well, since I won’t be leaving again,” Obito says, “I imagine we’ll have plenty of time to get around to whatever it is _you_ think is important to talk about. But I want you to explain how these cheeky snakes work.”

This certainly didn’t turn out to be the reunion Obito was expecting. Honestly it went way better. He’ll take it, copious unexpected revelations and all.

**Author's Note:**

> Kakashi's hair snakes are Conception Bank Silver Boas & Obito's are Northern Black Racers


End file.
